This article was originally published in Nebraska Examiner.
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Department of Education has been awarded a $55 million federal grant over the next five years to help improve literacy throughout the state.
State Education Commissioner Brian Maher, in announcing the grant Friday at a State Board of Education meeting in Nebraska City, said it is the largest competitive grant the department has ever received. It is part of the Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Nebraska is one of 23 recipients across the country.
Maher said he and the department are excited about the “great opportunity” but said it also comes with “great responsibility.”
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“We cannot just spend the next five years spending $55 million without making sure that there are positive outcomes for students,” Maher said.
The grant program is designed to support state agencies in implementing comprehensive, statewide literacy efforts from birth through grade 12. There is an emphasis on disadvantaged students — those living in poverty, English learners and students with disabilities.
“Literacy skills” include pre-literacy, reading and writing. Award recipients must use funds to support practices, strategies and interventions in response to identified reading gaps. These must be evidence-based and highly effective, such as developing phonemic awareness, decoding words and analyzing word parts, according to the state department.
The department said the grant will focus on a number of “proven strategies,” such as:
- Providing professional development.
- Improving family literacy.
- Providing high quality instructional materials.
- Utilizing tutoring and extended learning outside of school hours.
- Working toward reducing chronic absenteeism.
The grant will supplement existing state initiatives, such as the Nebraska Literacy Project and the recently passed Legislative Bill 1284, which appropriated $6 million over three years to be used for reading improvement mentorship programs and to employ regional coaches to train K-3 teachers how to teach reading .
“We know that money isn’t everything and certainly can’t solve all of our problems,” Maher said. “But we do believe it can make a huge difference in the scope and the depth of the work that we’re able to do around the state of Nebraska.”
The Nebraska Education Department is also partnering with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Omaha and the national District Management Group in targeted ways to improve literacy and accountability, Maher said.
The Nebraska State Board of Education is seeking to improve third grade proficiency in English language arts test scores from 62% on 2023 state assessments to 75% by 2030.
As Maher announced the grant, board member Lisa Fricke gave an audible “wow” and later thanked department staff for initiating the process “to make the dream happen.”
Board members Elizabeth Tegtmeier and Deb Neary, board president and vice president, also thanked Maher and department staff for their leadership and taking the literacy goal seriously.
“I want to make sure that kids in Nebraska read a little better tomorrow than they’re reading today. That’s our goal,” Maher said. “If we can do that, we’ll knock that 75% proficiency level out of the park. We have no barriers other than our imagination, our ability to plan and our ability to execute that plan.”
Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Cate Folsom for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com . Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and X .
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